


I Walk My Days On A Wire

by romanticizedtaboos



Series: Whump Klaus [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ben Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Diego Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, Drug Use, Dubious Consent, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Everyone Needs A Hug, Good Brother Diego Hargreeves, Good Sibling Ben Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, I love my boys, I've decided to make this a kliego fic, Im tired, Implied/Referenced Drug Abuse, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, PLEASE READ TAGS, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Sexual Violence, Slow Build, Slow Burn, So much angst, Sorry but not really, Violence, canon drug abuse, diego and klaus have a rocky relationship, diego and klaus’ relationship gets better dw, domestic abuse, dont read if ur not into it, dubcon, graphic descriptions of sexual assault and domestic violence, i cant write smut at all, i wrote this after not sleeping for 37 hours, ig this is kinda an au, ill add tags w chapters but this will be fluffy not smutty, im sorry i just like kliego, im sorry this is really dark in the first chapter, kliego - Freeform, no beta we die like ben, slowburn, writing this as a coping mechanism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:14:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24748948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticizedtaboos/pseuds/romanticizedtaboos
Summary: Klaus knew he didn’t mean it. Of course he knew. Sometimes Ryan just had bad days and Klaus knew how annoying he could be. He got on everyone’s nerves. And Klaus knew Ryan had a short temper. It was his fault really. If he hadn’t pushed him, this never would’ve happened. He needed to be taught a lesson. He’d learned a long time ago that there are consequences for all actions, and sometimes he needed to be reminded. He should’ve just left Ryan alone. Of course he wasn’t in the mood for Klaus’ pestering and constant need for affection. Klaus had no right to be upset about what happened. Of course, that didn’t stop him from being upset.
Relationships: Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Diego Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Original Male Character(s), Klaus Hargreeves/Original Male Character(s), klaus hargreeves & ben hargreeves, kliego - Relationship
Series: Whump Klaus [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789648
Comments: 12
Kudos: 153





	1. bad day

**Author's Note:**

> hey yall im kinda writing this as a coping mechanism which is why im posting this and not updating TGFP :/ i just have a lot of emotions i need to get out. the title is from cherry wine by hozier cause im a nblw and its a really fucking good song and it makes me cry and it relates to the topic of this story. i really like this fic so far and i hope you guys do too. chapters will be posted as there written, and if you have any questions or prompts, as always follow my tumblr @romanticizedtaboos :)) hope you guys like it and kudos and comments are super appreciated!!

Klaus knew he didn’t mean it. Of course he knew. Sometimes Ryan just had bad days and Klaus knew how annoying he could be. He got on everyone’s nerves. And Klaus knew Ryan had a short temper. It was his fault really. If he hadn’t pushed him, this never would’ve happened. He needed to be taught a lesson. He’d learned a long time ago that there are consequences for all actions, and sometimes he needed to be reminded. He should’ve just left Ryan alone. Of course he wasn’t in the mood for Klaus’ pestering and constant need for affection. Klaus had no right to be upset about what happened. Of course, that didn’t stop him from being upset. 

And now here he was sitting on the floor of the bathroom with a first aid kit and a cloudy compact mirror, praying to any God around that Ryan couldn’t hear his sobs. He knew he wasn’t allowed to be upset. He knew what was coming. The punishment never changed, though. It never did get easier, either. 

He looked at his reflection in the small glass. Ryan had broken the mirror above the sink and never gotten it replaced so Klaus only had the compact to try and assess the damage. It didn’t look like he’d need any stitches which was a plus, but there were still some nasty cuts from where Ryan’s rings had hit. It wasn’t too bad. Maybe a bit worse than usual but nothing new. He opened up a package of alcohol wipes and cleaned out the stinging wounds. There wasn’t much he could do about the bruises starting to form so he decided to just leave the rest of his face. He didn’t bother with bandages; bound to get ripped off at some point. 

After putting away the kit and disposing of the blood-stained wipes, Klaus took a deep breath and opened the door. 

He didn’t hear Ryan so he figured he must’ve passed out after their fight. That was good. He could just avoid him until he sobered up enough to be able to talk without getting hit again. Klaus walked over to their humming, off-white fridge. He was hoping for some frozen peas or at the very least something to eat. Come to think of it, he wasn’t sure the last time he’d eaten. The days had a tendency to blend together to the point where sometimes he couldn’t distinguish last month from last year. Much to his dismay, when Klaus peered into the refrigerator he was met with no more than margarine, milk expired by 4 days, and ketchup. The freezer had little more than a few crumbs and some freezer burn on the sides of the plastic interior. He was going to have to go out for groceries. Fuck. 

Klaus hated grocery shopping. Mainly because Ryan refused to pay for any of it, preferring to drink his weight in beer and whisky. But that meant Klaus had to get his own money to eat, and they both knew there was only one way for Klaus to get money. Klaus wondered sometimes if Ryan liked him being a hooker, purely for the fact that it gave him more shit to beat Klaus over. Of course Klaus quickly buried those thoughts as soon as they came up, knowing that Ryan only did it when Klaus deserved it. When he needed to be taught a lesson. Even if those intrusive thoughts we’re the truth, it was still Klaus’ fault. It was his own fault that he had no real skills or any ’proper’ education. It was his own fault that he had to resort to being a cheap whore just to afford food and the drugs that Ryan didn’t buy for him. Consequences. He knew this. He did. 

Klaus grabbed a thin, ragged leather jacket and he takes Ryan’s keys from the counter. He’s not really supposed to leave but it doesn’t really matter as long as he’s back before Ryan wakes up. He looks back into their room just to make sure his boyfriend is fully out, as usual, he’s snoring loudly and his breathing is regular. At that Klaus walks out the door of their apartment into the night. Klaus hated nighttime.

Walking through the streets in the dark was never Klaus’ favourite thing to do. Of course, he's used to it by now, but that doesn’t stop the fact that he’s overly paranoid and hates the dark. Being trained as soldiers you’re entire childhood can do that to a person. It doesn’t help that the creeps he was trained to watch out for were his main ’clientele’. But this is nothing new. Klaus wasn’t even sure if he could remember the first time he ’whored himself out’ as Ryan referred to it. It must have been some time in his teens. Oh how nothing ever changes. 

Klaus makes his way downtown to a club. He doesn’t go inside, no, instead going around the back to the alleyway he knew he could find some old guys and pervs that would pay for a quickie or a blow job. He just hoped this time they would actually pay. He didn’t wanna stay here longer than necessary. The alley stunk of alcohol and trash, and the dirty puddles of water on the pavement reflected the light of neon signs and traffic fixtures. He was greeted with an old man smoking, leaning against the brick exterior of the club. The music was loud and Klaus could pick up the vibration from outside; as he walked closer he was rewarded with the sound of a heavy bass and a guitar solo that was playing inside. The man smiled, Klaus recognized him but couldn’t quite place his face. Either he fucked him before or bought drugs from the guy, but Klaus would bet on the former given the man’s general ’look’. He put out his cigarette under his boot and beckoned for Klaus to come closer. 

”What’s a pretty pet like you doing here?” Klaus internally grimaced at the name. Nonetheless, he smiled and turned off his brain for the next little bit. 

”Could ask you the same, handsome.”

”Oh you flatter me. So, how much you askin’ for that sweet ass?”

”Depends how long you’re planning for, ” Klaus winked and stepped closer. He could smell the heavy body odor and cigarette smoke clinging to the guy’s shirt. He resisted the urge to cover his nose and gave a sweet smile. 

”I don’t imagine it’ll take very long with that ass and those legs.”

”Let’s say fifty and I’ll let you do whatever you want to it.”

”Deal.”

The man quickly turned around and pinned Klaus to the brick wall. The stone scratched his neck and wrists but he ignored the sting. He could see Ben standing at the end of the alley out of the corner of his eye. He doesn’t remember when he came back. They’d got in another argument over Ryan and Klaus screamed at him to leave, so he did. Klaus was still mad but he was happy Ben was back. It’s a lot harder to deal with stuff on his own, he hadn’t done it in a while. 

As the man, who Klaus had decided to just call ’Smelly Dude’ in his head, ripped down Klaus’ pants, he tried to forget why he was here. That he would eventually have to go back home and deal with Ryan again. At least he’d be high(er) again soon. He was flipped around so his face was against the wall. It hurt against the bruises and cuts that were already covering the better half of his face. He didn’t mind it too much though. He deserved the pain. Otherwise it wouldn’t happen. He knew this. 

He barely registered the man pulling down his own pants but as soon as Smelly Dude’s skin met his he was pulled out of his head. The guy didn’t bother with a condom, which sucked and meant Klaus was gonna have to go to the clinic again for PEP but he couldn’t even bring himself to care. He felt disgusting and as the guy pushed his head harder into the brick wall he just let him. Be deserved it. He knew this. Smelly Dude got rougher and Klaus started to panic. The guy was knocking his head into the wall hard and he realized that he definitely wasn’t getting paid as he tried to escape the man’s iron grip. But the man wasn’t stopping and Klaus was weak and hungry and had no power to fight back with. He tried to yell but it was met with a hard slam against the stone pushing into his now bleeding forehead. The hands on his arms grew tighter as Klaus desperately tried to get away from the man. He felt blood drip down his thighs and he let out a sob. His voice was weak but he still yelled helplessly. He could see Ben sobbing and trying desperately to get the man off of Klaus from behind, but of course nothing happened. His ears we’re deaf to everything around him, all he could hear were his sobs and Ben’s screams. He was about to stop, figuring it wouldn’t matter anyways, when suddenly the guy is pulled off of him aggressively and Klaus falls to the ground. Ben’s screaming abruptly put to an end. 

He feels weak and everything hurts. The ground is cold and wet but Klaus doesn’t have the strength to get up. He feels a hand on his shoulder and he flinches. 

”Klaus?” Asks a familiar voice. 

He looks at the person crouched beside him. ”Diego?” Fuck. Why did it have to be Diego? 

”Yeah it’s me. Here, lemme help you up.” Diego holds Klaus up by the waist and pulls his jeans up for him. Klaus still flinches. He looks at the ground to see Smelly Man on the ground, passed out and bleeding from his leg. He looks away. 

”What’re you doing here Diego?” He can hear a slight slur in his voice but he doesn’t care. He feels so far away he barely recognizes the voice as his own. He doesn’t look Diego in the eyes, fearing the disappointment. He would know Klaus deserved it. He would know. Klaus knows. 

”In the neighbourhood?” They both knew that wasn’t what Klaus meant. 

Diego took a long look at Klaus and sighed. ”Are you okay?” Wow, what a fucking question, Klaus looked at him dumbfounded. 

”You know what Diego, I think this may just be the best damn day of my entire fucking life!” He laughs manically while Diego looks regretful at his choice of words. 

”Sorry.” They stood in uncomfortable silence until Klaus decided he didn’t have to deal with this shit any longer. He walked slowly over to the man still passed out on the pavement, wincing as he moved. When he got there he bent down and grabbed the perv’s phone and wallet. The phone was old and didn’t have a password so he quickly reset it for pawning. He opened up the wallet and took the cash. There was about 300 dollars and a couple gift cards that he decided he might as well take too. He looks back to see Ben watching him along with Diego. Diego with a blank expression and Ben with a sad one. He walked towards Diego but passed him, favouring the exit. But of course Diego had to grab his arm and stop him, and they both knew Klaus was still to weak to bother fighting back. He turned around and Diego’s grip loosened. 

”Klaus, why don’t you come stay with me for a bit?”

”No.”

”Why not? I got a place and food and you can stop this shit.”

”I already have a place Diego, you know this.”

”You can’t tell me you’re still living with fucking Ryan? Seriously Klaus, he treats you like shit! Is that why your face is half purple? He doesn’t even buy fucking food, that’s what you told me last time!”

”I never fucking said that!” Diego had no right to say this shit about Ryan. Ryan loved Klaus. He knew that. Even if he wasn’t the best at showing it, Klaus knew he did. He wouldn’t buy him drugs otherwise. Wouldn’t waste his money on Klaus’ problem if he didn’t love him. Diego had no idea what he was talking about. It’s not like he’d ever been in love before. 

”Yes you did! You probably just forgot cause you’re always fucking high!”

”Wow Diego, you’re really convincing me I should move in with you! I would love to listen to you yell at me for being a fucking junkie even more than you already do!”

”Fuck. Klaus I didn’t mean that. I’m just saying-”

”No, you definitely meant that. I mean, it’s true isn’t it? I am always fucking high. But at least Ryan doesn’t treat me like dirt because of it.”

”He still treats you like dirt, though.”

”You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about Diego. And I really don’t wanna have this fucking conversation with you right now, so if you could do me a favour and let my arm go I would really appreciate it.” Diego’s hand dropped and he sighed again. 

”Offer’s always there. You have my number.”

Klaus huffed and walked away, headed to the 24 hour pawn shop on the strip. Ben walked beside him silently but Klaus could tell he was dying to say something to Klaus. But he wouldn’t unless Klaus spoke first. 

”I know what you want to say, Ben, but trust me I am not in the fucking mood right now to hear you side with Diego.”

”Okay. I am grateful he was there, though. You can’t get mad at me for that.”

”I’m too fucking tired to give a shit what would've happened if he wasn’t but yeah, I am too.”

They both chose to ignore all the things they wanted to say, preferring to just stay quiet rather than starting another fight. Klaus knew Ben wanted to scream about Ryan and tell him to go to Diego’s and beg to go to the hospital because he might have a concussion and needs medical attention and probably PEP; but Klaus also knew that Ben knew it would just end in another fight. Neither of them wanted to fight right now. So instead Ben just silently walked beside him, grounding him as they made their way down the dark streets. The smell of petrichor filling his nose. 

His feet carried him to the shop, his mind having checked out. He steps inside and is greeted by Tom’s usual concerned smile. Klaus almost always comes in during Tom’s shift and was quite used to the state Klaus was in. He was always smiling though, and Klaus always appreciated it, that smile usually being the only positive thing he’s seen all day. He steps up to the glass counter and puts the phone down. 

”Hey Klaus, whatcha got for me today?”

”Old android phone I think. Maybe LG or Samsung I don’t really know.”

Tom picks up the cellphone, turning it over in his hand to look at the screen. 

”Yeah it looks like an old LG. Probably from like 2012. I can give you like a hundred bucks for it. Sound good?”

”Yeah sure. Mind if I use your bathroom too?” Klaus gestured to the door with the sign ’Staff Bathroom’ on it. 

”Yeah go ahead, man. You alright?” Tom made a gesture to his face, his eyes clearly full of concern. 

”Yeah I’m good.”

Klaus grabbed the money from Tom and walked over to the washroom. He stepped in, the bright humming lights made him squint his eyes as he moved to look in the mirror. The smell of bleach and piss overwhelmed him as he walked further in, closing the door. His reflection looked back at him in the mirror but it didn’t look like him. This Klaus was too pale, and his face was covered in blood from the wound on his forehead. The bags under his eyes looked painted on they were so dark against his skin. His hair was mussed up and had dried and fresh blood sticking to it. The bruises on his skin had only grown darker and angrier, his right eye nearly swollen shut. It was a horrifyingly familiar sight. Ben was looking at him in the mirror, trying to get Klaus to meet his eyes. 

”You should probably wash that.”

”Yeah.” Klaus said but made no move of turning on the tap. 

”Are you still gonna go to the store?”

”No I don’t think so.”

Ben looked sad. Of course he knew that meant that Klaus was just gonna drain his pockets in drugs. He hoped this time he at least wouldn’t overdose. Hope was a dangerous thing. Ben knew that. Klaus did too. 

Klaus rinsed his face and wiped it off on his sleeve. He walked out the bathroom and through the door of the pawnshop ignoring Tom’s concerned look and wave goodbye. All he needed now was to be numb. And he had his money. 

Klaus approached the door of his apartment feeling better than he had in days. His pockets were light but his head felt lighter and that’s all that mattered. Ben silently trailed along behind him with a hurt look on his face. He unlocked the door and walked in. His stomach immediately dropped. 

Ryan was very much awake and standing right in front of Klaus. This is not how this night was supposed to go. Ryan was meant to be asleep and Klaus was meant to have food in his hands. Fuck. Ryan is awake. Hasn’t he already had enough today? Does enough even exist?

”What the fuck were you doing out without my permission!”

Klaus stayed silent. He felt like a kid again, being yelled at Reginald after sneaking out to go to clubs and buy drugs in the middle of the night. 

”I asked you a question, whore!” Ryan spat at him. Klaus was frozen. Still unable to speak he just looked up at Ryan as his eyes began to water. 

”Stop fucking crying, bitch! Were you out hooking up with other men again, you fucking whore? Or are the drugs I get you just not good enough? You know I spent my own fucking money on that shit for you! I’m not a fucking junkie! You don’t give me any respect!” Ryan took a step closer. Klaus stood silently shaking. A single tear slipped down his cheek. Another step. Ben turns away and walks into the kitchen. Another step. Ryan is so close Klaus can smell his breath. It stinks of cheap beer and sleep. Dental hygiene never was a priority. Klaus stays still as Ryan bends down to look Klaus in the eye. ”You need to be taught to respect me, don’t you?” He sneers. 

Klaus closes his eyes as Ryan’s hand connects with Klaus’ already sore cheekbone. Ryan never slaps, always backhands. Ben says it’s cause it does more damage but Klaus doesn’t understand why he would want to hurt him more. Not that he doesn’t deserve it. Klaus still doesn’t move as Ryan continues hitting and yelling. He doesn’t hear or feel it. His brain mentally taking him far away from here. He isn’t aware of anything happening around him. He’s not even sure if he’s still alive. That is until Ryan shoves him into the kitchen, falling onto the tile floor. Klaus is suddenly snapped out of his fog and looks up to see Ryan’s face and he is terrified. Ryan is red from the neck up and looks like he could kill Klaus. Klaus scrambles back against the wall furthest from Ryan and stands up. Ryan comes closer and Klaus grabs an empty beer bottle. 

”What, you gonna hit me over the head with that thing?”

Finally gathering the strength to talk, Klaus screams back, ”Yeah I fucking am you motherfucker!” He regrets it as soon as he says it and Ryan turns red with rage and grabs a knife from the counter. Oh fuck. 

Ben who is watching from behind Ryan is screaming now. ”Klaus fucking get out of here! He’s gonna fucking kill you, oh my God Klaus! He’s gonna fucking kill you!” After a short consultation with his adrenaline filled brain he decides Ben is absolutely fucking right and he needs to get out of here. He makes a run for it, and it feels like time physically slows as Ryan lunges and stabs Klaus in the shoulder below his collarbone. Klaus, still holding the beer bottle, smashes the glass over Ryan’s head and runs as Ryan falls to the ground. He just runs, out the door, down the hall, down the stairs, out the back, and keeps going until he arrives at the payphone outside the nearest corner store. God he hopes he remembers Diego’s number. 

End of Chapter One


	2. fucking stabbed!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ”You got fucking stabbed! And you didn’t care to mention it?” Klaus just shrugged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHH I FINALLY UPDATED SOMETHING!!! so ive actually had this written for months and i was a dumbass and completely forgot abt it ._. but im back!! i hope u guys r still interested lol. ik i havent posted anything in a long ass time but ive had a rough couple months, i relapsed into my eating disorder pretty bad, relapsed into my drug addiction, overdosed, went back to school, overdosed again but intentionally, left an abusive household and was put back into lockdown! obviously writing wasnt a priority at the time but im doing okay and have free time so here we r :) i hope u guys enjoy!! also i made a new tumblr so follow it https://www.tumblr.com/blog/romanticizedtaboos

The phone rings twice and Klaus chews on his bottom lip anxiously. He’s still crying but it’s weak and he really doesn’t have the time to break down right now. The phone rings once more before he hears Diego’s tired voice on the other end. 

”Diego speaking, who’s this?”

”Diego?” Klaus internally cringed at his voice breaking. His nosed was plugged from crying so he sounded nasally. He sniffed and it sounded wet and gross. 

”Klaus? Are you okay? What happened?” He sounded concerned and Klaus felt guilty. If he just went with him earlier this wouldn’t have happened. Klaus looked at Ben. 

”Just tell him the truth, Klaus. He’ll come pick you up. He can help. Please, Klaus, let him help.” Klaus nodded and looked at the knife still lodged in his shoulder. 

”Diego. I need help. Please. I’m sorry I was a dick before. Please.” He was practically begging at this point, but he didn’t have it in him to care. Diego could say I told you so later. He didn’t care right now. 

”Okay. Okay, where are you right now? Are you hurt?”

”I’m at Dan’s Convenience. Yeah, I am. I’m sorry. I know it’s late.” The tears came slightly faster as he waited for Diego to say something. Diego was right again. Diego was always right. He knew that. He just wished he weren’t. Ben was right too. Why didn’t he just listen? Ben always said Ryan was gonna hurt him one day and he wouldn’t be able to recover. But Ryan loved him. Why did he do this? Ryan loved him. Of course, he loved him. Did he, though? Yes, Klaus knew this. He just needed time to cool off. And Diego wouldn’t make him go to a hospital. It’ll be okay. Ryan still loves him. And he loves Ryan. He knows this. 

”Okay, I’m on my way. Don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. I’ll be there soon just stay on the line with me.”

”It is, though. Diego, it is my fault. I knew this would happen.”

”Don’t say that. I’m getting in my car right now, I’ll be there in 2 minutes, okay?”

”Okay. Okay. I’m sorry, Diego. I should’ve gone with you earlier. You were right. I’m sorry. I never listen. I’m sorry.”

”Stop apologizing, Klaus. It’s okay, I don’t blame you. It’s not your fault. I wasn’t making the best case for you to stay with me. I understand why you didn’t want to go with me.”

Klaus slid onto the ground; the phone still gripped tightly in his hand. The sharp pain of the knife moving as he did was present, but Klaus could barely process it. He still felt so far away. He’d sobered up slightly since getting stabbed, but he was still far too high too really feel the pain he was sure would only get worse. He started to zone out until he heard Ben clap. 

”Diego just asked you a question.”

”Oh, what?” He heard Diego sigh in relief into the phone.

”Oh, I thought you might’ve passed out. I’m almost there, can you walk?”

”I dunno. I can try. I’m on the ground right now, though.”

”No, it’s okay, I can carry you. What happened? Wait, I’m coming around the corner now, I’m gonna hang up.” Klaus let the phone drop from his hand as he saw Diego’s car drive up towards him. The car stopped and Diego rushed out, running over to where Klaus was half laying, half sitting, propped up on the wall. He stopped in front of his brother, eyes going straight to the knife embedded in Klaus. 

”You got fucking stabbed! And you didn’t care to mention it?” Klaus just shrugged. He was too tired and too high to bother fighting with him right now. He’s fought enough today. 

Diego ran a hand through his hair and pinched his nose. After a second he bent down and picked Klaus up bridal style as if he weighed nothing. To be fair, it probably did feel like he weighed nothing. He’d lost a lot of weight with Ryan, and he didn’t have much to lose in the first place. Klaus closed his eyes as Diego carried him over to the passenger seat of the car. He felt Diego lean over to buckle him in and it made him smile. Diego was always nagging to buckle up. He felt a tear roll down his face, but he didn’t bother to wipe it away. His arms felt like lead and the idea of having to move any part of his body sounded like hell. Diego walked around the other side and stepped into the driver’s seat. Klaus was filled with a sudden anxiety. What if he tried to take him to a hospital? He can’t go to a hospital, they’ll try and put him in rehab. He can’t go to rehab. 

”Diego, Diego don’t. I can go- I-I can’t go there. Don’t.” His voice sounded nearly hysterical as he started sobbing. Diego grabbed his arms softly. 

”Where? Klaus you’re not making sense.”

”The hospital. Diego, I can’t go there. I can’t. Please.” A contemplative look crossed over Diego’s face. He very obviously wanted to take Klaus to a hospital, given that he still has a knife in him, but Klaus would just freak out and run away-probably back to Ryan- after they treated him. And Diego really didn’t want that. 

”Okay. I won’t. But you have to promise me you’re not gonna run away until that shit starts to heal, ” he pointed at the knife and then made a motion to Klaus’ face. Klaus nodded and his sobs quieted. He remained crying which he internally cursed at himself for, but at least he wasn’t embarrassing himself much further. He closed his eyes as Diego put his car into reverse and felt the world drift away. 

Diego was freaking out. There was so much blood. His car was completely covered everywhere that Klaus had touched. There was a trail of blood from the direction Klaus came from all the way up to the payphone. How was Klaus not bothered by the blood? Diego was genuinely surprised he hadn’t passed out until now, though that was a huge problem on its own. Klaus was probably in shock and could possibly have a concussion from earlier. Fuck. 

Diego sped down the streets to his apartment, trying to get there as fast as possible. He kept his right hand on Klaus’ chest the whole drive to make sure he was still breathing. Thankfully, he lived close and was pulled into the driveway of his apartment within 5 minutes. He carried Klaus out of the car and ran down the stairs to the basement where he lived. He was just happy he didn’t live on the top level. He ran inside and immediately went for his bathroom, setting him down in the tub as he ran to get alcohol and other supplies from his kitchen. He ran back in and put it all on the floor as he got out the first aid kit from under the sink and all the towels he owned. 

He cut off Klaus’ shirt with some scissors he’d grabbed and fully assessed the damage. The place he was stabbed wouldn’t kill him, there were no major arteries or organs, but the blood loss could. He’d have to take the knife out and cauterize the wound to clot the blood. Fuck. This was gonna suck. He felt Klaus’ forehead to see if he was feverish. He was just cold. He felt dead. But he was still breathing. It was wheezy and slow unsurprisingly, but it was better than not. Diego let out a small sigh of relief. 

Diego pushed towels around the knife still stuck in Klaus to try and prevent him bleeding out while he ran back to the kitchen. Before he did, he raised Klaus’ legs and tried to remember his first aid training on shock and stabbings. He was pretty sure that was supposed to help somehow. When he got to the kitchen he grabbed a large knife and turned on his burner, sticking the knife over the flame. Fuck. This was gonna hurt a lot. He could only hope Klaus was too out of it to remember any of it by tomorrow. God he hoped he wouldn’t remember this tomorrow. Diego still didn’t know what happened, but he’d bet money on it being Ryan. Fucking Ryan. Diego never liked the guy. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Klaus sans bruises he had gotten from Ryan. Diego was gonna kill him. He was actually gonna kill him. 

When the blade looked significantly red Diego ran back to the bathroom, careful not to touch it. He unwrapped the now-stained towels from the wound and took one last look at the knife stuck in his brother before pulling it out, quick and straight. Klaus’ eyes blinked open and he looked confused and dazed from pain (and probably some kind of drug) as he looked down at the bleeding wound. 

”Wha-” Klaus started before Diego cut him off, dreading what he was gonna have to do next. 

”You got stabbed, Klaus. I know you're in a lot of pain but it’s gonna hurt really bad for a second and then you’ll be okay. I just need you to stay still.”

Klaus nodded and Diego put the burning metal to his skin. The sizzling of skin drowned out by Klaus’ sharp cry. He didn’t move, but Diego wasn’t sure if he could if he wanted. Tears spilled out of his eyes as Diego cringed with his whole body. He hated causing Klaus pain, but it was necessary, as much as he wished it weren’t. The moment felt like it went on forever but eventually he pulled off the metal and Klaus’ body went limp against the porcelain bathtub. Diego let the knife fall from his hand with a clatter as he realized Klaus had passed out. But the blood had stopped and maybe it was better if he was unconscious right now. He didn’t bother waking Klaus up, even if he knew he should. The guy deserved a fucking break. 

Diego picked up all of the bloody towels and Klaus’ blood-soaked shirt and put them in the sink, along with the knife her gotten stabbed with and the knife he didn’t. He grabbed a clean towel and poured rubbing alcohol on it, using it to clean of Klaus’ skin around where he had cauterized. The skin was red and inflamed but there were no real signs of infection – Diego wasn’t really sure whether or not it could set in that fast, so he resigned to keep an eye on it. He rubbed off the dried blood on the rest of his brother’s body before grabbing gauze and a large bandage from his first aid kit. He carefully applied it to the burned skin, happy to finally get to stop looking at it. He figured he probably shouldn’t let Klaus sleep in the bathtub and got up once again. He carried his weak body into his bedroom and laid him on the bed before peeling off his jeans and pulling his duvet over his freezing form. He decided he could clean the bathroom later and got into bed next to Klaus. He put his fingers on his pulse point and closed his eyes. He fell asleep with the beat of Klaus’ heart. 

\- End of Chapter 2 -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh so this was a short chapter but im currently writing the next one which will definitely b longer!! i also changed the chapter count cause this is going to b a longer fic than anticipated now that im interested again. anyways id love to hear any and all feedback and comments/kudos r always appreciated!!


	3. Just Peachy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus woken up with one of the worst pains he’d felt in his life. His shoulder felt like it had been torn off by an angry shark. He looked around and didn’t recognize where he was. He was feeling the effects of a comedown, but he was still really out of it. Everything was hazy and his thoughts felt like they were trapped in a layer of molasses. He couldn’t move and he wasn’t even sure if he was still dreaming or not. He was painfully aware yet unaware of everything at the same time. He heard rain outside, but it felt far away. His pained body didn’t feel like it belonged to him. He felt like he had stepped outside it, the pain not doing much to help ground him to reality. 
> 
> // Klaus fights with both Ben and Diego!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg me posting two days in a row?! i dont believe it! so i was super motivated to write this for literally no reason which is why its out so soon. the word count is over 8000 at this point which means this is definitely gonna be my longest fic, and way longer than TGFP. trust me the kliego is still happening but this is a slow burn. i have a pretty good idea of where im gonna go with this fic and basically all i can say is it gets worse before it gets better. and it does get worse. this chapter has some arguments between klaus and diego/ben that are unresolved but this will have a happy ending, u just gotta wait for it!! lmk what u think and as always, kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!! also, if u have any ideas of things u maybe want me to include (headcanons, references, etc) pls tell me in the comments below or on my tumblr @romanticizedtaboos!! i always like having new ideas :)

Klaus woken up with one of the worst pains he’d felt in his life. His shoulder felt like it had been torn off by an angry shark. He looked around and didn’t recognize where he was. He was feeling the effects of a comedown, but he was still really out of it. Everything was hazy and his thoughts felt like they were trapped in a layer of molasses. He couldn’t move and he wasn’t even sure if he was still dreaming or not. He was painfully aware yet unaware of everything at the same time. He heard rain outside, but it felt far away. His pained body didn’t feel like it belonged to him. He felt like he had stepped outside it, the pain not doing much to help ground him to reality. 

He let out an involuntary groan as he tried to sit up and the person laying next to him shot up. Oh. Diego. That’s where I am. 

”Klaus, you’re awake.” No shit dumbass. ”Are you okay?”

Klaus’ throat croaked as he tried to speak. ”Just peachy.” Diego gave him a look and he tried his best not to snort at how cute it was. His nose scrunched up and everything. 

”Do you remember what happened?” Diego sounded concerned as he talked. Which was weird. Diego wasn't exactly one to show his emotions willingly. Or at all. He sounded cautious, too. Like he thought Klaus was gonna break if he wasn’t careful. Maybe he would. Who knows?

”Um…” Klaus tried to think. What did happen? He caught a glance of Ben sat in a chair in the corner of Diego’s room and looked at him, pleadingly. He had no fucking clue what happened. 

Ben looked conflicted for a moment before sighing. ”Ryan stabbed you.” What. No. No he didn’t. He wouldn’t do that. Why would he do that? Ryan loved him. He loved Ryan. Ben is lying. Ben is lying, Ryan wouldn’t do that to him. 

Klaus was brought back to reality with Diego’s voice. ”Klaus? Do you know what happened?”

”No.” Klaus’ voice broke. He refused to believe Ryan had did that to him. But, what if he did? ”Do you? How did I get here?” He looked around the room and felt tears start to form in his eyes. Why else would he have gone to Diego’s?

”Uhh… you called me at 5 in the morning. At Dan’s. Someone stabbed you. I took you here and got the knife out and stuff. You passed out after I…” Diego trailed off and looked at his shoulder. ”After I cauterized it.” Oh. That’s not good. 

”Oh. Okay.”

“Yeah…” They sat in an awkward silence as Klaus wracked his brain, trying to recall last night’s events.

He remembered leaving the apartment and having an argument with Diego after getting roughed around by some John. He remembered seeing Tom at the shop and pawning the phone. After that he’d went to Pete on Parkway Ave. and got some stuff to get him through the night. He must’ve gone home at some point and – Oh. Oh no. Images of Ryan lunging at him with a knife passed through Klaus’ mind as he had the gut-wrenching realization that Ryan stabbed him. Ryan who loved him, who bought him drugs, and didn’t kick him out despite being a junkie slut; Ryan who gave him a place to stay and wasn’t disgusted by him; wanted to kill him. Diego must’ve seen his face drop as he started speaking again.

“You okay Bud?”

Klaus wiped a tear he hadn’t realized fallen from his face before responding, “Yeah”, in a raspy, broken voice.

“You’re not doing a great job at convincing me if I’m being honest here.”

Not wanting to deal with Diego’s concern, Klaus changed the topic. “What time is it? You got anything to eat in this place?” Diego sighed but continued with the topic change regardless.

“It’s 10:21. And yeah, you want some waffles? An omelet maybe?”

“Waffles sound nice, but I’ll have whatever. I’m starving.” Klaus hadn’t realized how hungry he actually was until right then. He never did get to the grocery store.

“When’s the last time you ate?”  
Klaus sat there thinking for a minute. When was the last time he ate? He definitely hadn’t in the last two days judging by the gnawing from the inside of his stomach. He couldn’t really distinguish the days before then, all of them blending together and bleeding into each other. Every day being more of the same.

“Klaus?”

“Uh, I’m not quite sure to be honest.” Klaus was too tired to lie, not that Diego would’ve believed him anyways. At his response Diego turned and looked at him for a moment, concern clear in his eyes.

“…Klaus”

“Diego…?

Diego sighed and got up, telling Klaus to stay put while he made the food.

“’Kay Mom.”

“I’m taking that as a compliment.”

“You would.”

Diego gave him an amused look as he left the room.

Diego was worried about Klaus to say the least. He got a bowl from the cupboard above the sink and retrieved the waffle mix from the pantry. He was probably going to use all of it since Klaus was definitely gonna eat a lot. He always had a big appetite. Now, after going hungry for who knows how long his stomach was probably comparable to a bottomless pit. 

The last time Klaus had been here he was completely fucked on heroin and probably a bit drunk too. He’d run out of Ryan’s after a particularly bad beating and ended up calling Diego, half on instinct. While he was at the apartment he ended up exposing some of the details about Ryan’s treatment to Diego, like him not buying Klaus food which forced him to go out and sell himself, and him not being allowed to leave the house without Ryan’s permission, essentially making him a prisoner. Of course, Klaus still did leave without Ryan’s permission, but he knew to expect “punishment” if he was caught. Diego wasn’t quite sure what punishment meant but he was pretty sure it consisted of more than just a beating. He didn’t wanna think about it.

Diego got out a waffle iron pan and turned on the burner. He mixed the waffle batter while he waited for the stove to heat up. His thoughts quickly drifted to what he used the stove for last night, the sizzling of skin replaying in his mind as he wondered if cauterizing the wound was the right choice. He should’ve taken Klaus to a hospital; he knows he should’ve. But he also knows why that would’ve probably been a worse choice. Klaus would probably just go back to Ryan and stop talking to Diego once he got out of the hospital, and that wouldn’t be helping anyone. He was almost certain it was Ryan that stabbed Klaus in the first place anyways, and the last thing he wanted was for Klaus to be back in that situation.

The pan had finally heated up, so Diego poured some batter onto it and waited for it to cook. He hoped Klaus had actually listened to him and stayed in bed. At the very least he hoped Klaus would stay long enough for waffles. Klaus loved waffles.

Klaus was trying far to hard to ignore Ben’s gaze at the moment, preferring greatly to pretend his translucent brother didn’t exist. Unfortunately, it didn’t work for very long as Ben decided to open that annoying mouth of his.

“Are you okay?” Klaus scoffed.

“What the fuck do you think, Ben?” At least Ben seemed embarrassed enough to cringe at his choice of words that mirrored Diego’s from the night before.

“Okay, sorry. Do you wanna talk about it?” Klaus let out a high pitched if not slightly manic laugh.

““It”? You mean the fact that my boyfriend who loves me stabbed me and probably wishes I were dead? You mean the fact that everyone was right about me being worthless and unlovable? Or do you mean the fact that you were right? Go ahead; just say it! I know you want to. Just say it! “I told you so, Klaus.” You were right. Is that what you wanted? Are you happy now? You were right, Diego was right, everyone was right! Well, everyone except me of course. But go ahead, hate the guy that was trying to be optimistic for once. I was wrong after all.” Ben wore a look of guilt and sadness and Klaus cried, not even bothering to wipe away his tears.

“Klaus… you’re not unlovable. And that wasn’t love, he treated you terribly.” Klaus quickly went from sad to furious at that comment.

“Oh, and how would you know Ben? Look it’s Ben the expert on love, who died before ever even getting to have a kiss or a girlfriend!” Ben’s face dropped at that, Klaus having known it was one of the things he was sensitive about, since it reminded him of all of the thing he missed out on because of his premature death. Klaus immediately regretted what he’d said.

“Fuck you Klaus.”

“I… I’m sorry. But you can’t tell me that wasn’t love. I loved him, Ben. I really did. And I know he loved me too.” Ben looked like he wanted to argue but didn’t bother. It wasn’t like Klaus was gonna change his mind.

“It’s fine.” It wasn’t. “How’s the injury?”

“Which one?” Klaus let out a short chuckle as he looked down his body. He had a few bruises on his arms, some darker ones on his hips, a cauterized stab wound on his shoulder, and if he had a mirror he would be able to see a pretty busted face. Not to mention the possible concussion he’d gotten from that guy Diego stabbed. 

“The stab wound.”

Klaus touched the gauze covering it lightly and winced. “Hurts. I did get stabbed y’know?”

“I do in fact know; I was there.”

“Stalker.”

“Dumbass.”

“Creep.”

“Weirdo.”

“Hey you stole mine! You’re supposed to be the weirdo. I don’t follow you around all the time, do I?” Klaus laughed.

“You think this is voluntary? You get stabbed when I am around, what do you think would happen if I left you alone?”

“You’ve got a point there Benerino.” Ben rolled his eyes at the nickname.

“Really though, how are you feeling?”

Klaus contemplated for a moment. He could lie but Ben would see right through him. He decided it was easier to just be honest.

“I feel like shit. Everything hurts and all I wanna do is go out and get higher since I’m starting to come down. I wanna go home and make up with Ryan.”

“Why the fuck do you wanna make up with him? He almost killed you.”

“I love him, Ben. And I mean it was my fault anyways I shouldn’t have gone out without asking him.”

“Klaus, he was passed out drunk and you were starving. There was no food in the house, what were you supposed to do?”

“I dunno, wait until he woke up?”

“Would he have bought groceries once he woke up?”

“Probably not.”

“Okay, would he have let you go and get some?” Klaus looked away.

“Ben, you don’t have to defend me. I know it was my fault. I was being stupid.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Klaus sighed.

“Whatever.” They fell back into silence.

Diego overheard Klaus’ one-sided conversation from the other side of the door as he waited to enter the room with the plates of waffles. He didn’t wanna barge into the room while Klaus was in the middle of an argument with… Ben? That wasn’t right, he couldn’t see Ben. Allison and Luther always just putting it down as a ploy for attention after their brother’s death. If Klaus was talking to him when there was no one around… well, either he’d finally lost his shit, or he really could see their late sibling. Diego couldn’t help but think back to all the times he’d disregarded Klaus when he claimed he could see Ben, preferring to just believe Allison and Luther despite none of them really having any sort of idea about how Klaus’ powers worked. Not that he necessarily blamed them for coming to the conclusion, it seemed logical at the time. But it was almost absurd to think he would’ve been able to keep up the game for years after Ben’s death, let alone while there was no one else around. God, Diego felt like shit.

He opened the door and walked in to find a quiet, pissed-off looking Klaus, staring pointedly away from a distinct corner of the room. Klaus looked up and him and broke out into a smile when he saw breakfast presented on two mismatched plates. 

“Waffles! Gimme gimme.” Klaus made grabby hands and Diego passed him the plate. Atop was 5 large pancakes, with whipped cream, maple syrup, fresh strawberries and blueberries. The same thing he’d been eating on waffles for the last 10 years. Diego personally thought it was far too sweet and sugary, but Klaus needed all the help he could get when it came to weight and upping his calories. For himself, Diego settles on a much more sensible omelet with hot sauce and a gritty protein shake as usual. His body was a temple after all.

He decided to wait until they were finished eating before he brought up the topic of last night. Klaus may be content to live in a delusion where all the bad thing that happen to him are forgotten as soon as they end but Diego absolutely was not. Klaus seemed okay as they ate, the waffles definitely bringing up his mood from the talk he’d had with “Ben” before. Diego hoped he was actually seeing Ben, at least that meant he had someone looking out for him. 

Klaus finished the pile of waffles unsurprisingly fast. There was no way he wasn’t starving, and he wasn’t nearly as high as usual. Diego finished his breakfast shortly after Klaus and put their plates on his bedside table. Taking a seat on the couch on the other side of the room opposite to his bed, he sighed, dreading the direction the conversation was going to go in. Klaus caught his face and must’ve seen a shift in his demeanor because his face quickly grew serious.

“What?” Klaus asked, somewhat nervously.

“Klaus, you were stabbed last night.”

“Yeah?”

“Klaus…”

“What Diego?”

“Was it Ryan?” Klaus’ expression grew grim.

“Why does it matter whether or not it was him?”

“Why are you getting defensive?”

“Look, I know what you think about him Diego, but he’s a good guy. He really is! You just don’t know him and don’t trust me.”

“KLAUS! HE STABBED YOU! GOOD GUYS DON’T STAB THEIR FUCKING BOYFRIENDS!”

“It was my fault Diego! What was he supposed to do? I didn’t respect him!”

“KLAUS ARE YOU HEARING YOURSELF RIGHT NOW? YOU’RE DEFENDING THE GUY WHO TRIED TO KILL YOU 7 HOURS AGO! HE’S NOT A GOOD FUCKING GUY, WHEN WILL YOU REALIZE THAT?” Diego was red in the face and barely even registered he was screaming until he noticed Klaus violently flinching, his eyes starting to go glassy with uncried tears. Quickly, Diego adjusted his tone to a softer one and tried a less victim-blamey approach.

“Klaus… it wasn’t your fault. Please listen to me, it was not your fault.” Klaus looked completely unconvinced.

“Don’t talk about things you know nothing about, Diego.” With that Klaus stood up, pulled on one of Diego’s shirts that was laying discarded on the floor and promptly left, slamming the door behind him.

That went well.

End of Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hoped u liked this one!! lmk what u think and feel free to follow me on tumblr and give me prompts or ideas @romanticizedtaboos!!


	4. denial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben starting nagging as soon as he left. Klaus was getting really fucking tired of that nagging.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 4 yall!! im so happy i was able to get this one out so quickly since im pretty sure its the longest chapter so far!! also, as of this chapter, this is the longest fic ive ever written! :D i have the next 4 chapters planned out so far but im pretty sure therell be more which means this fic is gonna be over 20K!! i hope yall like slow burn cause we're in for a ride. 
> 
> this chapter does get pretty dark and heavy with content so ill put a list of the tws right here   
> \- drug use  
> \- sexual assault  
> \- idk how to tag it but klaus cooks and shoots up in this chapter  
> \- nsfw
> 
> pls take care and feel free to skip this chapter if u need!! follow me on tumblr too @romanticizedtaboos!!

Klaus grabbed his jacket that was hung on the door. He put it on, grimacing when he felt his own dried blood on the right sleeve and inside of the lining. He checked his pockets for smokes and a lighter before leaving the apartment. Diego hasn’t yet noticed Klaus had swiped his wallet and it was sitting in the pocket of his jeans he’d been wearing since yesterday. 

Ben starting nagging as soon as he left. Klaus was getting really fucking tired of that nagging.

“Klaus, where are you going?”

“Where the fuck do you think I’m going, Ben?”

“Just… wait. Go back to Diego’s. He’s not mad at you he’s just worried and rightfully so.”

“I don’t wanna fucking hear it Ben.” Klaus walked faster, ignoring that Ben could just phase next to him and keep pissing him off if he wanted to. The quick pace had transformed the dull, burning ache of his shoulder into a sharp, shooting pain down his entire arm and right side. He brushed it off knowing it wouldn’t matter soon.

“At least tell me you’re going to Pete?” Pete was one of the nicer dealers Klaus knew. He gave good prices and often took pity on Klaus and gave him a place to stay for the might when Ryan got to violent and he and Diego weren’t on speaking terms. He was also in the middle of the city meaning he was always the closest if Klaus really needed a hit. The only downside was Pete was purely pharmaceutical, preferring to stick to mostly harder scripts that were in high demand, like oxy and xanax. Klaus usually went to him for oxy and occasionally valium given that Ryan provided most of his junk habit. Right now, unfortunately, wasn’t a Pete kind of day.

“Ben, it’s been almost 16 hours.”

“Please Klaus. Just go to Pete or back to Diego’s. Maybe you can get clean this time? Come on Klaus just head back. Please.” Ben was practically pleading at this point. Klaus just walked faster.

Klaus’ H dealer was also Ryan’s dealer. Ryan didn’t use as often as Klaus, but he bought most of the habit to keep Klaus dependant on him. Klaus hadn’t known the guy before Ryan but with how long he’d been with Ryan he lost pretty much all of his other connections in the city. He wasn’t even sure which ones were dead or incarcerated at this point, but he wouldn’t be surprised if it was any of them.

The man Ryan bought from was similar to himself and scared the absolute shit out of Klaus. He pimped out some of the girls Klaus had worked with in the past and had a reputation for violence and gruesome sexual assaults on the hookers that were forced to work for him but he also had the best H Klaus had ever used. So, despite his fear of the man himself and the possibility Ryan might be waiting there to punish him, he pushed on, winding his way down streets and alleys in the neighbourhoods he was so familiar with. 

Ben looked on horrified as Klaus all but ran to Danny’s place. Danny was a terrifying man and Ben couldn’t stand the way he looked at Klaus. Especially since if Klaus was near him, he was either fucked to all hell already or completely desperate for a hit. Either of those states made Klaus extremely vulnerable and without Ryan there (as much as Ben hated Ryan, Danny always backed off when he was there) Ben couldn’t help but be scared. He just wanted Klaus to go back to Diego’s. Whether or not they made up, Ben just wanted Klaus to be safe.

“Klaus I don’t think you’re thinking this through. What if Ryan’s there?” Klaus rolled his eyes as if Ben was being the dumb one here.

“Then we can make up and I can get out of Diego’s hair. He’ll probably be pissed at me anyways for taking his wallet and I don’t wanna deal with another fight.” Klaus wasn’t naïve. Ben knew Klaus wasn’t naïve. But sometimes he was willfully ignorant, and this was one of those times.

“What if he’s still mad at you, Klaus? He could kill you. Hell, he almost did already! What if he wants to finish you off?” After scoffing, Klaus turned to face Ben with a look of amusement on his face. What the fuck was wrong with him?

“Ben, he didn’t try to kill me. He was upset – for a good reason – and the fight got a bit violent. He wouldn’t do that to me.” What was the first stage of grief again? Denial you say?

“Klaus! He lunged at you with a knife in his hand! You’re lucky you’re not dead and Diego still remembers his first-aid training.” Klaus flushed red.

“Ben, please leave. I do not want you here.” Klaus’ voice was eerily calm and steady as he spoke for how heavy he wore his anger on his face.

“Klaus-“

“Ben. Leave me the fuck alone. Go back to Diego’s if you wanna be there so bad. I don’t care what you do, just leave or shut the fuck up. Your choice.” Ben closed his mouth. “Thank you. Now let’s go by some fucking drugs.”

Diego hadn’t realized Klaus left the actual apartment until he realized his wallet missing from his nightstand. Assuming Klaus just wanted space or something, Diego had stayed in his room and watched some YouTube, waiting for Klaus to calm down. But as soon as he realized his wallet was gone, Diego immediately ran out into the main room. He saw where Klaus’ coat was missing from the door and his sneakers were nowhere to be seen either. Fuck.

Now, Klaus did not have a phone, let alone a modern one, which meant Diego had no way of tracking or getting into contact with his rogue brother. So, Diego had two options; wait to see if Klaus would come back (which may or may not happen), or go out and try to look for him (where he may or may not find him). It didn’t take very long for Diego to decide on the latter. At the very least he’d be trying, if he just sat here waiting it wasn’t going to be helpful. And it wasn’t like he was completely clueless to where Klaus had gone, they’d just had a fight and he was coming down, the only thing he could possibly be thinking of would be drugs. And as much as he wished that wasn’t true, he knew Klaus. This wouldn’t be different than any other time Klaus left in the middle of an argument, stab wound or not.

Despite knowing what Klaus’ goal was when he left, Diego still had no clue where he’d actually gone. He should’ve gone after Klaus. He felt guilt pool at the bottom of his stomach. Diego decided the best course of action was to go to all of the sketchiest places he knew of and see if anyone could point him in the right direction that maybe knew of Klaus or had seen him. Klaus was bound to have some acquaintances around who would know who his dealer was. Hopefully, they wouldn’t think Diego was a cop and lie to him. That’d happened more times than he’d like to admit.

Diego headed to his car and started driving downtown, knowing that’s where Klaus usually did “business” and hung around when he wasn’t trapped in Ryan’s apartment. God, he hoped he found Klaus. Diego didn’t care if he was high or drunk or anything, he just wants him to be safe. Needs Klaus to be safe. Diego wasn’t quite sure whether he believed in God or not, but he hoped he was on his side and let Klaus be okay.

Klaus knocked on the old wooden door outside Danny’s duplex. The door was wooden with peeling white paint and a brass knob. According to Ryan, Danny had been living there for years, never bothering to move despite having the money to. Something about his dead mom that Klaus had been far too high to remember. 

He heard a gruff voice shout, “Who the fuck is it?” before giving his name and waiting for the man to come and unlock the door. Heavy footsteps echoed from the other side and shortly after Klaus heard a latch unlock and was greeted by Danny’s unsettling smile.

“Well hey there, doll”, Klaus internally grimaced, “What are you doing here all on your lonesome? Was Ryan a little to rough in bed? Maybe you want a softer hand?” His breath smelled of strong alcohol and judging by his eyes he was on coke too. Oh God. This could get dangerous very quick. Still, Klaus persevered, driven by his cravings more than his survival instincts. Well if that wasn’t telling he wasn’t sure what was. 

“Actually, I came here to buy. Ryan was out and well… I ran out. You know how it is, I just couldn’t wait. I have the money.” The lie glided easily from his lips. It was believable since it was still daytime, and it seemed that Ryan hadn’t talked to Danny yet about what happened. Danny’s smile grew wider as he moved out of the doorway, gesturing for Klaus to enter his trashy home. There was blow already cut on the glass coffee table, along with numerous bottles of beer, vodka, whiskey, and some rum. On the worn, brown leather couch he could see some bags of h, lighters and needles that had been placed haphazardly, no doubt having been shared by whoever was in the house. Klaus sat down on a sofa that Danny had pointed to, being far too sober to be comfortable. This was one of the first times Klaus had been here while coming down, usually already being completely fucked and nodding off if he was here with Ryan.

Danny sat down across from him. “So, how much are you looking for?” Klaus opened Diego’s wallet.

“However much… $110 is gonna get me right now.” Danny smiled at him again as he opened a box with some baggies filled with what was Klaus’ equivalent of diamonds. Klaus handed over the cash as Danny held out the bad, but, before Klaus could grab it Danny pulled it back. “Uh uh uh.” Oh fuck.

“Now, don’t get me wrong Klaus, I’m gonna sell you it. I just want something first.” Klaus felt his stomach drop. He already knew exactly where this was going. He tried to ignore the pit in his stomach as he saw Ben turn away from out of the corner of his eye. “I have a feeling you know what that is.” Oh, how he wished he didn’t.

Klaus slid onto his knees and tried to push back the tears welling in his eyes, knowing Danny would probably like that too much. The man in front of him unzipped his jeans with a grunt before doing exactly what Klaus knew he was going to do.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for so long Klaus, wanted those pretty lips around me for ages. But that boyfriend of yours was always so protective. What’s a bit of sharing between friends anyways? Don’t you agree, Klaus.” Klaus shivered at the way he said his name. He felt his mind going foggier as tears fully started to stream down his pale face. Danny just grabbed his hair tighter and pushed harder. 

At some point Klaus had grown unaware, only coming back to with the disgusting taste of jizz in his mouth. After the man finished he shoved Klaus off and zipped up his pants, throwing the bag of H at him. “Thanks doll.” He grunted as he walked away, leaving Klaus on the ground. He stood up, grabbing the baggy before walking out the old, white, wooden door.

He was still crying as he walked down the street, not sobbing, just tears and light sniffling. Ben was walking closer than before, still remaining silent which Klaus was thankful for. They were heading in the direction of an alley that Klaus kept a spare kit in along with shoes, some money and clothes in case Ryan kicked him out or he had to leave. He would be able to get changed out of his bloody jacket and since it wasn’t very cold he could stay there for the night. If he wasn’t gonna be with Ryan he certainly wasn’t gonna stay with Diego and listen to his bullshit any longer than he had to. Ben would probably beg him to go back but this wasn’t gonna be Klaus’ first night on the street nor would it be the last. He’d grown quite accustomed to sleeping rough since his teen years, it wasn’t any worse than most shelters.

Eventually Klaus made it to the alleyway and pulled a ratty black backpack from behind a dumpster. It hadn’t been very long since the last time he checked on it, so he was pretty sure nothing had been stolen yet. And as he opened it up he saw he was right. At the very top was his kit with clean needles, ascorbic acid, an old bent spoon and a Bic lighter. He pulled it out of the bag along with a belt that was closer to the bottom with the rest of the clothes. He wasted no time tightening the belt around his arm as he started cooking, Ben looking at him sadly, unspoken words nearly visible on his lips. Klaus knew Ben was disappointed in him, but Klaus also knew that there was no way Ben felt any worse about what Klaus did that Klaus himself. His mouth still tasted like Danny and he almost couldn’t stand it. Almost. Unfortunately, that was far from the worst blowjob he’d ever been forced to give, so he sucked it up, instead focussing on the high he’d soon be feeling. As the mixture bubbled Klaus smiled. Finally.

Ben sighed as Klaus nodded off. He was sad for Klaus, but this wasn’t new. Wasn’t even the first time a similar thing had happened in the last 24 hours. Ben wished he was corporeal so he could at the very least give Klaus a hug. God knows he fucking deserved one. Instead, he slowly walked over to him and sat down beside him, guarding him, even if he couldn’t really do anything if Klaus was in danger. Ben wasn’t stupid, he didn’t expect Klaus to get clean or even get off heroin, he just wanted him to be safe. He wanted him to have a life worth living for. Klaus wasn’t going to kill himself, Ben knew that, but sometimes thought he was so reckless because he hoped maybe it would kill him. Ben hoped that wasn’t true, but he wasn’t so sure at this point. At least he could be happy Klaus was using clean needles. It’s the little things, right? 

Ben wished he could put his arm around Klaus right now. The dried tear tracks on his face had streamed mascara down his skin but Klaus obviously didn’t care. He was floating, cloud nine. “Better than your best orgasm multiplied by 100.” Maybe one day Klaus would find a way to be happy without it. Maybe he’d die. Ben would put money on the second. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. However, he wasn’t that naïve. 

It took 3 hours for Diego to find Klaus. By the time he did Klaus was laying on the ground in an alleyway, expression far too serene for his mascara streaked face. Diego knew he was high of course, but he couldn’t feel anything but relief. Happy that he at least looked physically okay and was still breathing. Diego crouched down in front of him, taking the belt off of his upper arm and throwing out the spoon and needle into the dumpster he was laying beside. Diego couldn’t see the actual drugs anywhere in the immediate vicinity which meant either Klaus used everything he had, or he put it away somewhere before he shot up. Diego’s money was on the second.

He pulled his limp brother into a sitting position and Klaus’ eyes opened. “Fuck.”

“Nice to see you too bro.” Klaus was still pretty unaware of what was going on around him, with his glazed over expression, glassy eyes and barely-functioning motor skills; this allowed Diego to just pick him up and carry him over to his car with almost no profanities or arguments. The most Klaus actually says is something that Diego is pretty sure was supposed to be “put me fucking down” and “stop” but other than that he doesn’t really put up a fight. Diego kind of feels bad for forcing Klaus to go with him when he doesn’t want him to, but the alternative would be leaving his defenceless junkie brother on the street while he’s high and Diego would feel way worse about that. 

Diego deposits Klaus in the passenger seat and gets into his side, turning on the car. He drives out of the alley and Klaus looks out the dirty window. It’s right before dinnertime but it’s dark and foggy outside. Klaus always preferred sunny days, though he never said why. Diego often wondered if it had something to do with the ghosts, but he never asked, assuming Klaus probably wouldn’t wanna talk about it if it was. Klaus rarely talked about his powers; Diego wasn’t even sure what they fully entailed. He knew that Klaus could see ghosts sometimes and that Klaus didn’t like his powers. He remembered as a child Klaus often telling Diego and Ben how jealous he was of Vanya, how he desperately wished he could just be ordinary. Of course, Diego never understood, not in the same way Ben did. Sometimes he wondered if that’s why Klaus and Ben were so close. Both living a life they didn’t want, tortured by things out of their control. Diego knew that there was a lot he didn’t know about Klaus’ powers. A lot he didn’t know about Klaus. He knew Klaus still had nightmares about the Academy though he was never sure what part exactly. That wasn’t exclusive to Klaus though, Diego still occasionally waking up in a panic after dreaming about missions or special training. He was almost certain Klaus’ training was worse, if the expression of pure fear in his eyes when Diego asked him about it was anything to go by. He wanted to know Klaus better, he loved him so much and he would do anything to take some of the pain off of the man’s mind. But Diego knew Klaus wasn’t going to do that anytime soon, so he did what he could. Like giving him food and a bed to sleep in if he took it and trying his best not to judge him even if it was hard. Maybe Klaus would let him in one day, he hoped he did. 

Diego arrived at his apartment a few minutes later. Helping Klaus inside he laid him down on the couch and sat in the other seat beside him. All he could do was wait for Klaus to sober up at this point. He sighed and turned on the TV, it at least being something easy to do so neither of them really had to move. Klaus was vaguely paying attention to the movie and Diego was watching Klaus. He didn’t have the energy to be anything but happy Klaus was okay. He could be angry and disappointed later. Right now, this was enough. 

End of Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys so i hoped u liked this chapter even if it is a little longer than the others!! pls leave a comment or kudos i love getting feedback!! thanks for reading!!!
> 
> tumblr - @romanticizedtaboos

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading this chapter!! i hope you liked it, it does get less dark lol. i will post the next chapter as soon as it’s written so keep an eye out if youre interested and follow my tumblr @romanticizedtaboos


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